iOS + MacOS app paid app, best user experience to purchase once and enjoy on all devices?

Question

I am building a universal app (iPhone+iPad), that will also work on OSX. With Universal apps, the user purchase once, and then can use it on all their iOS devices
I do not think it is possible to extend that to OSX/Mac App Store.

• I want to avoid the user having to purchase twice, once for iOS, once for OSX.
• I want the user to be able to purchase from any device, not have to go through one platform then the next, in a specific order
• The app would have to be on App Store and Mac App Store, so whichever mechanism is being used, it would have to be compliant with the review guidelines

What do you think is the best user experience for this kind of scenario?

Answer 1

In my opinion the best approach here is to offer the upgrade only on one of the platforms (probably ios) You must have some kind of server-client relationship when the two connect right? And I'm assuming the pairing can achieve things that two iPhones together (or 2 macs) can't? Why does the the mac end not just connect to a mobile device which either has or has not purchased the upgrade? Sometimes the simplest way is the best way

Answer 2

Well, a way to "cheat" would be to use inAppPurchase

both versions (os X and iOS) are free, but an unlock code is required to use them this unlock code can be purchased using inAppPurchase => the user is then given a code he can enter on the other version in order to unlock it.

Answer 3

As a matter of fact, you are right, it isn't possible to create a fully universal app (iOS + mac os).

Even submitting applications to both iOS and Mac OS require to pay two different developer programs.